Dabi wasn't sensitive, not by a long shot. He didn't care about most feelings, whether they'd be from people around him or his own. There was just one distinctive emotion that was always present in the back of his mind. His hate for Endeavor. It's what led him down this path of villainy in the first place. Yet recently there had been another thing as well...

A certain fondness of his comrades. Something he only realised after they lost someone. Guess it's true when they say you only start appreciating something when it's not there anymore... No, Dabi wasn't a sensitive guy, but he could admit that he cared about his teammates. About the other members of the League, this...dysfunctional family of misfits.

And in a way he was protective over them. Must be his older brother instincts kicking in, or at least, that's what he blamed it on. It's not like he was the oldest in their ranks, certainly not now that the Meta Liberation Army was joining forces with them. Of course he was happy with the expansion of their empire, their image, their ideology. Yet the win tasted sour...

This wasn't something they'd normally do. Not something Shigaraki had ordered them to do because he wanted to. No, this had all been his plan... All For One was a manipulative bastard. From the moment he arrived, he'd been bossing everyone around and Dabi hated it. What did Shigaraki see in that bastard..? Why did he let himself be manipulated like that?! Shigaraki never did something he didn't want to! And yet-

Yet this asshole just had to walk in here and snap his fingers and Shigaraki would do his bidding! It angered Dabi more than he thought it would. Maybe because there wasn't anything he could do about it... All For One could do whatever the fuck he wanted and get away with it because no one could stop him from doing so. He was too powerful, too strong. He reminded him of Endeavor in the worst possible way, only feeding into his anger.

"Dabi?"

"Hm?" Dabi hummed, looking aside at Toga. She was standing next to him, looking in the mirror as she was brushing her hair. They were standing in the bathroom of the League compound. A place the Liberation Army didn't know about yet and a place All For One rarely visited. And if that bastard showed his face down here, it was to talk with Shigaraki in his room.

"I think that bottle got what it deserved" she pointed out. Dabi frowned, only to look down at his hand, seeing he crushed his bottle of hair dye. Huh... He didn't even notice he did that... Well, it was empty anyway, so it didn't really matter.
"...I guess" Dabi shrugged, throwing the bottle in the trash.
"Ugh! I can't get my hair to look right!" Himiko whined, pouting at herself in the mirror.

"Aren't messy buns supposed to, I don't know, look messy?" Dabi asked, raising a brow. He didn't get why she was making a fuss about it. Her hair always looked the same anyway. Nothing wrong with that, of course. It was something Dabi grew accustomed to, something familiar, easy to find within the chaos of the battlefield.
"I wanna do something else with my hair today" she stated, turning around to face him.

"You wouldn't know how to braid, would you?"

Only a minute later, Dabi was seated behind Himiko, his hands waving strands of her hair together. They were seated in the common living room, but there weren't a lot of people around at this time. Compress was seated on another couch, but he paid no mind to them. Kurogiri had passed on his way to the kitchen but he hadn't commented on it either. Yeah, things were calm and peaceful... A nice break from their normally hectic life. Domestic, almost.

It reminded Dabi of the days his father would be gone on long missions away from home. When everything would be quiet in the absence of his booming voice. He'd play around with his siblings, help his mom out around the house... He'd sneak out to train whenever his mom was too busy to stop him and come back around dinner time, only to get scolded by his sister. He wondered how she was doing these days... His baby sister was already 22 years old now, wasn't she? Damn, he felt old.

"Done" Dabi sighed as he finished off Toga's hair. He'd made one big braid and tied it down in a high bun on the back of her head. It was different from her normal hairdo, yet it still held some resemblance to her normal style.
"Thank you!" Himiko smiled, pulling him into a quick hug before she went to bother Compress about it.

"Don't I look pretty?"
"Yes, wonderful as always, Toga" the man answered before looking at Dabi.
"I didn't know you could braid hair like that?"
"What can I say? I'm full of surprises" Dabi shrugged.
"Can do all kinds of braids, really. My little sister used to love it when I did her hair back when we were-"

He cut himself off when he realised what he was saying. Fuck. He never really talked about his past or his family with anyone. It was something he'd rather forget, something to ignore. Not something he talked about, not something they should know about. They had no business knowing his real name, his heritage. He cared, yes, but they didn't need the details of his past. He didn't know shit about the people they used to before they met and it didn't matter either.

"You have a little sister?" Toga asked, not noticing Dabi's discomfort regarding the subject.
"Yeah" he sighed, getting up from the couch.
"None of your business"
"Oh come on~!" she whined, clinging onto his arm in an instant.
"You never talk about your family!"

"Maybe I've got a good reason not to?" Dabi said, prying her off of him.
"If I share, will you share too?" she asked.
"I'm an only child, so can't talk about siblings much but-"
"Shut up" Dabi groaned.
"I'm heading out"

"Where are you going?" Spinner asked as he entered the room, only catching the last bit of their conversation.
"Wouldn't you like to know, lizard boy?" Dabi smirked, ignoring the angry complaint as he walked on. He cared about them, yes, but they could be annoying at times too. Huh, almost like real siblings... He shook his head, trying to get the mental picture of his family out of his mind.

Why did he start thinking about his sister anyway? If Dabi knew this would spiral down into nostalgic flashbacks, he'd never have braided Toga's hair! Ugh, so annoying... Yet all his memories fueled his hate even more, making him determined to see things through. Endeavor will fall, no matter what he had to do to accomplish it. No matter if he had to hurt one of his own siblings in the process...

Besides, it was too late to turn back now. He was already in so deep, it would take more than a little sentiment to get him out of the pit he dug for himself in search of revenge. He'll achieve his goal, no matter the cost. That was a promise. Dabi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He'd gotten angry just thinking about that asshole. Ugh, the burning sensation he felt throughout his body was helping...

"Ah, Dabi, heading out I see?"

He froze up at that voice, quickly glancing aside. All For One. He was the last person Dabi wanted to run into on his way out, but guess the odds just aren't in his favour today, are they?
"Shigaraki isn't here" he stated, knowing that was the only reason Hisashi ever visited.
"He's with the Meta Liberation Army, I know" All For One nodded.

"Tomura isn't the only reason I come down here, you know? Am I not allowed to check in with the League every once in a while? I'm the one who sponsors all your activities, you know?"
Dabi squinted his eyes for a moment. He didn't trust this guy, not one bit, but unfortunately he was right. Hisashi did fund their escapades and without him backing them up, they would've never come this far...

"Kurogiri is in the kitchen" was all Dabi said before continuing on his way. He just wanted to get out of here. Away from this man and away from the power he held.

"Thank you for telling me, Touya"

Dabi froze up at that name. No... Nobody had called him that in years... How...how did he know about that..? He heard Hisashi chuckle, not daring to turn around and face him. All For One knew who he was, knew his civilian identity... No, no, no, no, no, no... This couldn't be happening!

"You know, it took quite some digging to get your name" Hisashi continued. Dabi could hear the smugness in his voice as he clenched his fists. Nobody else was around, nobody else had heard. His secret was safe. For now.
"To think that a Todoroki would fall so low... I'm sure your family is so proud of you-"
"Keep my family out of this" Dabi hissed, instantly turning around to glare at All For One.

"Oh? Sensitive topic hm?" Hisashi grinned.
"Guess that's to be expected from someone who's officially declared dead"
"Shut. Up" Dabi growled, his fingers digging into his palms.
"No need to use such a tone against me" he mumbled, sounding almost offended.
"Your little secret is safe with me for now~ Well, as long as you do what I ask of you, of course"

Of course... All For One had always reigned with fear, using his quirk to gain power and loyalty. Dabi shouldn't be surprised he would use the same methods to keep them in check. Did he have dirt on all the members of the League..? Was he going to threaten them? Make empty promises of fame and power to win them over? Eliminate those who went against him..? The thought alone sent shivers through his spine.

"I trust that won't be a problem" All For One pressed as Dabi didn't give him a verbal response.
"Not at all" Dabi gritted out, quickly shoving his hand into his pockets when he noticed he was trembling a bit.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to"
"Of course, I won't keep you here any longer" Hisashi smiled.

The way he smiled reminded Dabi of Midoriya, which wasn't all that shocking because they're related, but it was still weirding him out. He left as soon as possible after that, trying very hard to forget that conversation. But how could he? How could he forget that All For One knew who he was? Who he used to be? It was his biggest secret, his trump card, something he planned on revealing when the time was right, when he was ready for it. Not... Not like this...

When he finally got outside, the fresh cold air hit him in the face in an instant. It felt nice, cool. Yeah, the chilly night air is something he'd gotten used to, even if only a sliver of that remained as the sun was starting to rise again. He sighed, at least he was able to escape that place and finally get outside. It's not like he cared about being late to his appointment, he probably already was, but he'd rather not be in the same building as All For One if he could help it.

That didn't mean he wasn't still grumpy though. No, he was pissed. That damn bastard knew his original dumb fucking name! A name he never wanted to hear again! Not unless it could be used against Endeavor, at least... But here he was, moody as fuck, dragging himself out to meet someone who was garenteed to get on his nerves.

"You're looking angrier than usual"

It didn't surprise Dabi that Hawks noticed that right off the bat. The man was a pro hero with some sharp eyes and a good gut instinct, something Dabi came to both hate and love.
"Did something bad happen?"
"Piss off with the small talk, birdie" Dabi grunted.
"You've got some intel for me or what?"

Ah yes, Hawks had been feeding the League information from the hero commission. To prove his loyalty, that was what they'd called it. In reality they both knew he functioned as a double agent, even if neither of them had brought it up. Dabi fed him some irrelevant info about the League and Hawks returned the favour by getting them hero bullshit in return. Why they even tried to keep up the facade at this point was a mystery, but they both played along nonetheless.

"Ahw, come on Dabi! I can tell something is bothering you" Hawks pointed out.
"Is it me? Are it my new glasses? They're bigger than my previous ones, I know. Supposed to be intimidating or something. At least that's what the designers said- Are they making you uncomfortable?"
"I don't care about your shitty glasses, Hawks" Dabi grunted, only now noticing they were a slightly different colour as well.

"So what is it then?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Look, I'm trying to build a friendship here and you're really not cooperating-"
"Shut up!" Dabi hissed, blue flames rising up for a second. Hawks was instantly on edge, taking a few steps back as a precaution. Dabi groaned and punched the wall, hissing and cursing at the pain it caused. Fuck! Not one of his better ideas!

"A-are, uhm, are you okay..?" Hawks asked carefully. It was the first time in this conversation his voices sounded like he genuinely cared and Dabi simply sighed and shook his head. No, no he was not okay.
"Some shit happened before I came here" he explained, not going into further detail.
"Guess it got to me"

Hawks' look softened at that and Dabi had to look away instantly. Fuck. He reminded him too much of his sister right now and the recent flashbacks weren't helping at all.
"You can talk to me, you know..? I might be able to cheer you up a little?"
"You can cheer me up by handing over the intel you promised" Dabi stated, his hands finding their way back into the comfort of his pockets.

"Alright, alright, you can have it, geez" Hawks sighed, pulling out the folder. Just as Dabi was about to grab it, he lifted it up so the papers were out of his reach again.
"I have some questions too, if you don't mind"
Dabi groaned, of course things never go smoothly with this guy...
"What the hell do you want?"

"You know I have no problem with you or with the rest of the League. I mean, I want in, honestly" Hawks started.
"But there is the issue of...All For One..."
Dabi glared at nothing in particular upon hearing that name, making Hawks raise a brow in question.

"What is there to say?" Dabi grunted, really not wanting to talk about him, definitely not with a hero he couldn't trust.
"Ah, you don't like him either eh? Can't say I blame you" Hawks sighed.
"He's a scary guy... Even scarier than you and that's saying something"

Dabi snorted at that. Yeah right... He knew Hawks was trying to cheer him up, trying to lift his mood in order to pry more information from him. It was always his strategy, so it must be effective in one way or another... Maybe that was why Dabi kept up this parade? Because he low key enjoyed it...
"Don't lie. You've never been afraid of me" Dabi pointed out.
"Annoying as hell right off the bat, not scared to burn a few of your precious feathers..."

"I'm a pro hero, Dabi. I've been trained not to show weakness against villains. Definitely scary villains" Hawks explained with a teasing tone.
"But All For One... He's a whole other story all together, isn't he?"
"You can say that again" Dabi groaned, leaning against the wall. Hawks followed his example, leaning down against the wall next to him.

There was a short silence while the two of them simply stared off into the distance. The sky was a beautiful colour right now. A bright light blue washing away the orange and pink tones of the sunrise.
"He's scary... Very scary" Dabi breathed. And that was an understatement. He let out a dry chuckle and if he could cry, he would. This was all one big joke, wasn't it?!

"Fuck... He's terrifying... He knows who I am a-and...and I'm scared"

Hawks was silent for once, taken aback by the sudden emotional outburst. Dabi had never been open or vulnerable with him, so it was kinda shocking to see him like this.
"He... He knows who you are..?" Hawks asked after a moment of silence. Dabi let out a forced laugh, closing his eyes as his head rested against the wall.

"Of course you only care about the intel, you fucking asshole"

"That's not-"

"Oh shut up!" Dabi hissed, glaring at him.

"No I won't!" Hawks yelled back.
"I wasn't asking because I wanted to pry for information, okay?! I asked because you never open up about anything! Because I was interested! Because I wanted to know what could make you so scared of a person that's on your side!"
He took a shaky breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look-" he started.
"-All For One is terrifying, okay? I get that. You think I'm not scared? That I'm not afraid of what that man will do to society as we know it? But you... You're not supposed to be scared of him. He's on your side, isn't he..?"
Dabi didn't react, not immediately at least, which concerned Hawks even more.

"I guess you're right... I shouldn't be and yet..." he whispered, letting his voice die out. Dabi couldn't suppress the small flinch when Hawks put a hand on his shoulder, but neither of them spoke up about it.
"He knows who I am as in... He knows my actual civilian name... Which is crazy and terrifying and impossible- I mean, the world thinks I'm dead for fucks sake! And yet this bastard- This asshole suddenly walks in like he owns the place and he just-"

Dabi closed his eyes again, cutting himself off from rambling too much. If he gave Hawks too much info, the hero commission might be able to figure out who he used to be too and that was the last thing he wanted.
"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable with sharing" Hawks said, his voice dead neutral. It was something Dabi had never heard from him, but he instantly knew how serious Hawks was about this.

"But I do have one last question and depending on your answer, a proposition"
Dabi nodded, showing him it was okay to go ahead and ask him. He was kinda intrigued now. Hawks had never made such a serious face before... He wondered what kind of proposition he came up with...

"Who do you hate more? All For One or Endeavor?"

Alright, not a question Dabi was expecting. The more he thought about it, the more he realised it wasn't actually about his feelings either. The question wasn't who he hated the most, no. It was a question of who he wanted to eliminate first...
"I can't stand either of them" he answered in the end.
"But I'm prepared to play the long game with Endeavor. All For One is a more imminent threat, to both me and the rest of the League"

"You really do care about your comrades hm?" Hawks asked with a small smile.
"They're my family" Dabi explained.
"If something happens to them, or threatens their peace, I'll burn it to the ground"
"Good to hear!" Hawks smiled, pushing himself off the wall and moving around so he was standing in front of Dabi.

"Then I'm sure you'll like my suggestion!"

Dabi raised a brow in curiosity, but quickly became serious again as Hawks began explaining. If he agreed to this, there was no turning back... Now he understood why he asked who he hated the most. Who the lesser evil was from his point of view. Because this plan, this proposition-
"And you're sure you'll be able to arrange that?" Dabi asked at the end of his explanation.

"Look, we both know I'm a double agent, alright? I'm not stupid and neither are you" Hawks sighed.
"The hero commission gave me full permission to act as I see fit and taking out the most imminent threat first is something every hero can justify. I promise this will work, I only need your cooperation"

Dabi sighed, thinking it over for a minute. If he agreed to this, it would change everything... Everything he built up over the years, the League, his teammates... His home... Yet that place stopped being his home ever since All For One stepped foot in it. Everything was already changing, whether he wanted it or not. Nothing would be the same either way, no matter what action he took. And this... This proposition wasn't half that bad... So he guessed he could-

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal"